Carrier for tunnel forms



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. J. SAROSDY CARRIER FOR TUNNEL FORMS Nov. 1, 1949 Filed May 20, 1946 1949 L. J. SAROSDY CARRIER FOR TUNNEL: FORMS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 20, 1946 .2 @H 1 M 2. Aw M m Sm N -5 NN QJN NW 5. E w v WM. MN h l R l 1 NM NM H 6H em h @m w a @h NH mw r q L mm mm M 5M INVENTOR U/ 0 S m a J m U 0 L ATTORNEYS Nov. 1, 1949 J, s ospy 2,486,801

CARRIER FOR TUNNEL FORMS Filed May 20, 1946 3 SheensSheet 3 fig .4.

INVENTOR Lou/L9 LI \sar'osd M, 42/40 Hum ATTORNEYS Patenteri Nov. 1, 1949 CARRIER FOR TUNNEL FORMS Louis J. Sarosdy, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Blew-Knox Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 20, 1946, Serial No. 671,007

Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for transporting sections of an inside form used 1n casting concrete tunnels.

Sectional inside forms are generally used in the casting of concrete tunnels, both in lining rock; bores and in constructing an earth-supporting conduit in open cuts. Usually such structures are cast progressively in one piece around a form composed of a line of sections connected end-toend. The section at the end where pouring commences or foot of the line, is stripped after the concrete around it has set sufficiently, and is collapsed for transport through adjacent sections supporting subsequently cast concrete and is set up at the head of the line to permit continued casting. In a specific example, a form for a tunnel having an inside diameter of 6', comprises twelve sections each 20 long.

The handling of such sections presents a serious problem. They are heavy and cumbersome and, when collapsed, have less rigidity than when set up and secured in place. The space available inside the sections left standing, furthermore, is quite limited and any transport apparatus must be of correspondingly small size. Several types of such apparatus have been proposed heretofore, but have not proved entirely satisfactory. One difficulty which is particularly troublesome is that the floor of the tunnel which serves as the roadbed for a track on which the apparatus travels is usually not finished accurately to grade or to level transversely thereof. As a result, a form section mounted on a conventional car traveling on rails laid on such a roadbed is very likely to be out of line and off grade when moved to a position ahead of the sections left standing.

I have invented a novel carrier for the sections of an inside tunnel form which overcomes the aforementioned d fiiculty and permits the sections to be adjusted accurately to line and grade as they are set up at the head of the line. In a preferred embodiment, my apparatus comprises a car composed of an elongated frame with wheels adjacent the ends. Jacks mounted on platforms oivoted adjacent the ends of the car on a central longitudinal axis support a longitudinal beam on which a form section is adapted to rest after being stripped and during transport through adjacent sections left standing in place. Vertical movement of the beam is gu ded by uprights on the pivoted platform, and I provide means on the frame for adjusting the uprights laterally to com ensate for any tilting of the frame as a result of unevenness of the roadbed. The jacks may be operated independently to bring the two ends of the form section to the proper grade. The lateral adjustment of the guide uprights permits each section to be kept to the proper line of advance as installed.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment. In the drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved carrier with parts omitted, showing a form section thereon diagrammatically and in longitudinal vertical section;

Figure 2 is an end elevation with parts omitted, showing the carrier on a portion of track which is not level;

Figure 3 is a transverse sect on taken along the plane of line III-III of Figure 1, looking to the left; and

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken along the plane of line IVIV of Figure 1 looking to the right.

Referring in detail to the drawings, my formsection carrier comprises an elongated wheeled frame indicated at Ill. The frame includes a center sill ll composed of a pair of channels having a length greater than that of the form section indicated generally at l2. Short channels [3 are secured to the bottom of the sill channels, extend outwardly beyond the ends of the latter and are secured to angles I4 welded to transverse axles l5. Inclined bracing plates lia are welded to the channels [3 and the angles [4. Flanged Wheels 16 on the axles are adapted to travel on rails l! laid on ties resting on the floor of a tunnel or open out. A vertical post in the form of a channel l8 extends upwardly from between the channels H5 at each end of the carrier. Gusset plates l9 are welded to these posts and the channels of sill l I. An upper longitudinal beam 2!] composed of spaced channels extends between the posts l8, be ng connected thereto by transverse web plates M. It will be evident that the frame composed of the sill ll, posts l8 and beam 20 is characterized by great longitudinal rigidity.

A platform 22 is pivoted on a long tud n ax s at each end of the frame between the chann ls l3. The outer end of the platform s p ed on a transverse plate 23 extendin betwee t e channels and the inner end on the w b of t e channel forming the post IS. The pivot pins are indicated at 24.

A hydraulic jack 25 is mounted on each o the platforms 22. The pistons of the jacks support an upper longitudinal beam 26 composed of spaced channels connected by cross channels 21. Short lengths of channel 28 are secured to the ends of the beam 26 for engagement by the jack pistons. Hand pumps 29 are mounted on the bases of the jacks and suitable control valves (not shown) are provided to hold the jacks elevated or permit them to descend as desired.

An upright in the form Of a channel 30 is mounted on each of the platforms 22 and extends upwardly between the channels of beams and 26. The uprights 3i] serve to position the ends of the beam 26 laterally. For this purpose, adjusting screws 3i are threaded through tapped holes in the webs of the channels forming beam 20 for engagement with the flanges of the channels forming the uprights 30. It will be apparent that, by backing off one of the adjusting screws and advancing the other, either of the uprights may be tilted relative to the end of the frame on which it is mounted. The tilting of the uprights causes lateral shifting of the ends of the beams 26 by virtue of the fact that the beam has sliding engagement with the uprights. The jacks 25, of course, are tilted with the uprights, being mounted on a common support therewith, i. e., the tilting platform 22.

The form section I2 is shown as of conventional construction including an arch shaped shell with stifiener ribs 32 spaced therealong. The form section includes a crown portion 33 and sides 34 and 35 hinged thereto at 36. The sides 34 and 35 may be stripped from the concrete poured therearound by ratchets 31 pivoted to the ribs 32 and to cross angles 38 secured to the beams 20.

The operation of the apparatus in the strip ping and transporting of the form section will probably be obvious from the foregoing description but will be briefly explained.

Figure 4 shows the form in position for the casting of concrete therearouncl. In this position, the weight of the form is carried on jacks 39 engaging bearing angles fill. The spaces between the lower edges of the form and the grade of the tunnel floor are closed by flash boards ll secured to edge angles 42. When the form is to be stripped, the carrier ill is brought into position thereunder, the jacks 39 and flash boards 4| removed and the jacks 25 raised, lifting the beam 26 into engagement with the crown portion 33. Guides 43 secured to the ribs of the crown por tion insure proper engagement of th beam therewith. The screws 3| may be adjusted to bring the beam into exact alinement with the form section to be stripped, should the slope of the tunnel floor be such as to make this necessary. The ratchets 3'! are then contracted to strip the side portions 34 and 35. The jacks ar then lowered to strip the crown portion 33. The parts are thus brought to the positions shown in chainlines in Figure 4 so that the form section is in condtion to be transported through the adjacent sections remaining in place. Since the length of the carrier is greater than that of the form section, the side portions of the latter swing freely between the wheels of the carrier.

When the form section has been transported to its new position, it may be set in place by a reversal of the procedure just described. If the track rails I I are on an angle to the horizontal, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the screws til at the two ends of the carrier may be adjusted appropriately to center the form section properly with the desired center line of the tunnel. It will be apparent that, by suitably adjusting the uprights 30 by means of the screws 3|. the ends of the beam 26 and the form section carried thereby, may be brought into exact alinement with the sections previously set in place. When properly alined, the jacks 25 may be adjusted independently to set the form section at the desired grade, after which jacks 39 may be set under the form. The jacks 25 are then lowered and the carrier returned for the next stripping operation.

It will be evident from the foregoing that the invention provides transport apparatus for inside tunnel form sections having numerous advantages. In the first place, the construction is simple yet rigid and sturdy longitudinally and well adapted to move a collapsed form section through adjacent sections remaining in place. The outstanding advantage, however, is the provision for adjusting the form section to line and grade before finally setting it in place at the head end of the line of sections. By this provision, it is possible to correct for twisting of the frame resulting from inaccuracies in the grade or level of the tunnel floor misalinement caused by deviations in the track rails from a geometric straight line. The jacks are located over the axles so that the load imposed on the beam 26 is carried directly to the track rails. No load is applied to the uprights 30; the serve merel to position the ends of the beam 26, in accordance with the setting of the adjusting screws.

Although I have illustrated and described only a preferred embodiment of m invention, it will be recognized that changes in the detais of the construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A carrier for tunnel forms or the like comprising an elongated wheeled frame adapted to travel longitudinally on a track through a length of form in place, jacks pivoted to the frame adjacent its ends on a longitudinal axis, a beam extending between the jacks adapted to support a form section when taken down and collapsed for travel through adjacent sections still in place, uprights pivoted to said frame adjacent its ends on a longitudinal axis, said uprights guiding vertical movement of the beam by said acks, and means for tilting said uprights independently on their axes to aline the beam with the center line of the .tunnel despite variations in line or transverse slope of the track.

2. A carrier for tunnel forms or the like comprising an elongated wheeled frame adapted to travel longitudinally on a track through a length of form in place, jacks pivoted to the frame adjacent its ends on a longitudinal axis, a beam extending between the jacks adapted to support a form section when taken down and collapsed for travel through adjacent sections still in place, uprights pivoted to said frame adjacent its ends on a longitudinal axis, said uprights guiding vertical movement of the beam by said jacks, and means for tilting said uprights independently on their axes to aline the beam with the center line of the tunnel despite variations in line or transverse slope of the track, said means including adjusting screws on said frame engaging said uprights.

3. A carrier for tunnel forms or the like comprising an elongated wheeled frame adapted to travel longitudinally on a track through a length of form in place, said frame including portions upstanding adjacent each end, jacks pivoted to the frame adjacent its ends on a longitudinal axis, a beam extending between the jacks adapted to support a form section when taken down and collapsed for travel through adjacent sections still in place, uprights pivoted to said frame adjacent its ends on a longitudinal axis, said uprights guiding vertical movement of the beam by said jacks, and adjusting screws threaded through said portions and engaging said uprights for tilting said uprights independently on their axes to aline the beam with the center line of the tunnel despite variations in line or transverse slope of the track.

4. A carrier for tunnel forms or the like comprising an elongated wheeled frame adapted to travel longitudinally on a track through a length of form in :place, a longitudinal beam above said frame adapted to support a form section when taken down and collapsed for travel through adjacent sections still in place, a platform pivoted on a horizontal axis to said frame adjacent each end, a jack on each platform for raising 5. A carrier for tunnel forms or the like coniprising an elongated wheeled frame adapted to travel longitudinally on a track through a length of form in place, a beam extending longitudinally above the frame adapted to support a form section, independent means pivoted on a longitudinal axis at each end of the frame for raising and lowering one end of the beam, independent means supported by the frame at each end of the frame for shiftin one end of the beam laterally, said last-mentioned means including uprights pivoted on a common axis with said first-mentioned means.

LOUIS J. SAROSDY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 984,216 Henderson Feb. 14, 1911 1,460,165 McArthur June 26, 1923 2,020,520 Sarosdy Nov. 12, 1935 2,306,503 Sarosdy Dec. 29, 1942 

